Keeper Of His Heart
by Neko Oni
Summary: yy yami was raped; his soul and body have been shattered to pieces. Now, it's up to yugi to use all the love in his heart to put those pieces back together, and find out who hurt his yami. yaoi.
1. hospital

sah....here i go, starting a new fic..eer, this isn't really knew; it's just been rotting away on my comp for like a couple...err..few...sah, alright, several months now....  
  
yam: what about updating your other fics?  
  
. eh.....i'm working on it?  
  
yam: *snorts *  
  
yug: *rolls his eyes * shut up, both of you. oni, stop BSing and get on with it, already, and yam....*smiles and grabs yam's hand, dragging him off towards the closet *  
  
-.- nympho.....eh..sah, anyhoos, this fic's a bit different from my normal ones; yes, 'tis yaoi, yami x yugi, as always..err, 90% of the time, any wayz, but i've realized i have a tendency, in writing anyway, to make yugi uber-uke; a bit _too _ soft and sweet. so, this is my attempt to still have him be soft and sweet, etc, but ehhh.....oh, for the love of pete, just read the summary..... *grumbles and stalks off *  
  
DISCLAIMER: stands for the entire fic. i don't own.  
  
WARNINGS: yaoi, yami x yugi, mentions of rape  
  
SUMMARY: something horrible has happened to yami, shattering his once strong soul to pieces. now, it is up to sweet little yugi to heal yami's broken soul, so that his broken body may begin to mend. However, the one who broke the pharaoh is intent on seeing him completely destroyed. it's going to take all of the courage, bravery, and love yugi's tender heart possesses to save his beloved yami. the always thought of as helpless yugi is going to learn just exactly why fate chose him to be the pharaoh's hikari.  
  
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KEEPER OF HIS HEART  
  
Yugi sat in a cushioned chair at the head of Yami's bed. He looked out the window; outside, the birds were singing, children playing, and the sun shinning. But inside.....even in late summer, hospitals were always so dreadfully cold. The little one shivered, wishing he'd worn more than the simple spaghetti strap sundress and flip flops. He reached out and tucked Yami's flannel sheet tighter about his thin, sleeping body.  
  
The sheet was the one with Egyptian print on it; Yami's favorite. Yugi had washed it before bringing it in so that it had the comforting fresh out of the dryer smell instead of the sickly hospital smell. He took it home and washed it for him every Friday after school.  
  
The little angel smiled sadly at his soul mate, then brushed a limp golden bang from his yami's face; one of his small fingers accidentally grazed the stitches on Yami's cheek; the once-pharaoh flinched and whimpered.  
  
Tears welled in huge, caring violet eyes, his heart breaking to see Yami like this. His strong, confident Yami had been reduced to this.....Sniffling, wiping away stray tears and trying to be strong, Yugi forced himself to smile. "Y-yami, it's going to be alright......"  
  
He frowned at the false, useless words of comfort. Nothing was alright, and nothing would ever be alright; not after what happened. Yugi's porcelain hands curled into tiny, trembling fists in Yami's blanket and angry tears ran freely down his soft cheeks. "Marik....you're going to pay for raping my Yami........."  
  
tbc........  
  
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. gomen it's so short....i have more written, but it's stopped 1/2 way through the scene; here 'tis a much cleaner place to stop. 


	2. panic

lalalalalaa......*points to chappie below* see! mucho muchas longer! *beams proudly * ^.^ ah....und so viel angst!  
  
yam:..rrriight......  
  
-.- smart ass.....*thwaks yam *  
  
yam: . isn't it enough that you pick on me in your story?  
  
...no ^.^  
  
yam: *anime fall * sadist...  
  
you know it! eh....ne wayz, thankies to all who reviewed! ^.^ oh...and...um...i have _no _ clue why yugi was in a dress....O.o but me shall go back and revise one of these days...  
  
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Yugi looked up from his book and glanced at Yami, who had fallen asleep during his narration of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He smiled softly as he took in the relaxed look on his yami's smooth face, then frowned at Yami's barely touched lunch tray. "Yami, you need to start eating. Soon you're going to weigh as much as me, and I'm underweight myself." He scolded the taller boy, fussing with his sheets.  
  
Yami moaned a bit and turned onto his side, the sheet slipping off of his nude, bandaged shoulder and back. Yugi gently but firmly rolled Yami back over, lest he tear open his side or jar any of his broken ribs. Yami's peaceful face suddenly contorted with pain, and the little one leaned over, whispering soothing words into his ear. Yami relaxed again, and Yugi bestowed a kiss upon his cheek then stood up.  
  
Yugi closed his book and set it aside, stretching his short, alabaster limbs and blushing when his elbow popped. He gazed at Yami again, and felt his heart break once more. His poor love had fallen victim to Marik's knife; his bottom lip had been sliced in half, and was now stitched together, his face was a myriad of stitched up cuts, and the sheets hid even more damage done to his body.  
  
Shaking his head and choking back tears, Yugi abruptly left his bedside and began rearranging the white lilies in the chipped, purple tinted glass vase. He gently grasped the clammy stems and rattled the flowers, causing the fragrant pistils to release more of their scent, which smelled a lot like the perfume Yugi always wore. Lilies were Yugi's favorite flowers, and Yami always claimed he smelled like them, even when he wasn't wearing his perfume. So, Yugi always made sure that Yami had a bouquet of fresh lilies next to his bed, so that he would be reminded that Yugi was always with him.  
  
He worked with trembling hands and blurred vision. A tiny sob escaped his throat, and the tears shimmering in his eyes ran down his cheeks, landing with small plops onto the flowers' leaves and dresser. His Yami, his dear, beloved Yami was broken, so broken....and Yugi wondered if he could ever be fixed again. Shaking his head to deny such a though, Yugi dropped onto his knees, the pain in his heart bubbling over, and he curled into a ball and cried, great, heaving sobs wracking his thin frame.  
  
He flinched when he heard a whimper that wasn't his own; looking up, he saw Yami flinch in his sleep, nearly tearing his IV out, tears slipping past his closed lashes. "No, stop it, get away from me, no, no no stop it stop it no..." Yami continued to mumble, tossing his head from side to side, his jerky movements pulling on his oxygen tube as he was lost in the throes of another nightmare.  
  
Panic swiftly welled in Yugi's chest, and, his own tears and pain forgotten, he rushed to his darker half's side, laying his small, light body on top of his to hold Yami still. "Shh, shh. It's alright, Yami...it's okay...it's over...h-he can't touch you anymore...Shh....hush....it's done...it's over...I'm here...I'm here, my love." Yugi stroked Yami's good cheek with soft, gentle fingers and gave him little kisses on his forehead, desperately trying to calm him down before he had another episode....  
  
Yugi shivered, and Yami flinched. Cursing himself, Yugi stroked his hair, gave him kisses, and whispered soft words until he felt the bigger boy relax under him. He smiled with relief, weariness quickly replacing the fevered adrenaline of moments before. "That's a boy, Yami. See, n-no one's here but me.....it's alright....." He laid on top of Yami, not moving until he was sure Yami was deep asleep, away from the nightmares.  
  
The hospital staff had tried administering different drugs and medications to stop Yami's nightmares, but none of them worked. The only thing that worked would be for Yugi to pull Yami out of them. Although, once Yami was wrapped up tightly in that dark embrace, even Yugi couldn't pry him loose. He would toss and turn, kicking and screaming ungodly, blood curdling cries of sheer terror.  
  
Their effects on him were tremendous. He'd scream until his throat was raw and bleeding; his thrashing would tear open his wounds, his limbs banging into the metal rails on either side of his bed, causing bruises, and his heart rate would go up too high for his weak body to keep up with. When he got like this, only a quick injection of a sedation could stop him.  
  
Last time, the doctors almost lost him; a few more minutes of carrying on like he had, and Yami's heart would have burst in his chest. There were straps attached to the bedrails; after a nightmare, when Yami was sedated, he would have to be tied down to prevent him from thrashing around if another nightmare took hold. On the occasions when he'd wake up in the middle of a nightmare, he'd vomit great amounts of blood.  
  
They were also affecting him mentally, making him even worse. Yami would hardly eat; Yugi had even tried to force-feed him a couple of times. The nurses had told Yugi if Yami wouldn't start to eat on his own soon, they'd be forced to put him on a feeding tube.  
  
Yugi bit his lip, feeling tears burn at his eyes again. But he couldn't cry here...not so close to Yami. Taking a shuddering breath, he waited, making sure Yami was sleeping peacefully, before he started to pull back; it was getting late, nearly supper time, and he had to get home.  
  
Yami's eyes flew open as the weight receded from his chest. "Y- yugi...please, don't go..." He whispered, his ruby eyes wide with terror. He didn't know what was what anymore; nothing made sense. He felt so unstable and volatile; his world was plagued by memories, nightmares of Merik, and what had happened that night, though Yami couldn't remember the exact details of what had actually happened. He only remembered glimpses and snatches, and his imagination distorted things, turning them into little demons that tormented his mind, crawled on his skin, ripping at his body-  
  
Yami cried out, his eyes popping, panting heavily, and he started to jerk, trying to rid himself of the little hell-spawns that were crawling on him-  
  
"Shh, Yami, it's alright. Hush. I'm here, hush. Shhh. Shhh..." The panic died down, the demons disappeared as short arms wrapped themselves around him, running through his hair, and a soft, angelic voice wrapped him in a cocoon of warmth...of love...  
  
He was brought back to sanity, to reality, and blinked, smiling softly at Yugi. "Aibou..."  
  
Yugi smiled back tiredly. "See, Yami? It's alright..." He continued to whisper and waited a bit; Yami didn't say anything; he just looked softly at Yugi, comforted by his presence.  
  
"I-I'm sorry...." Yami murmured, and Yugi shook his head. "Don't be; you can't help it...it's not your fault..." Yugi trailed off, shifting under Yami's steadfast gaze. The older boy hadn't even blinked once. Reaching out, Yugi snagged Yami's Jell-O and spoon of his barely touched tray. "Yami, you hungry? You need to eat...come on....please?"  
  
Yami shook his head, but Yugi scooped up a tiny bit of red Jell-O and brought the tip of the spoon towards Yami's mouth. Yami hated moving his lips; his lower lip, which was puffy and swollen from the stitches, hurt when he moved it. He looked sadly at Yugi, sending his darling aibou a look of guilt and regret, before turning his head away.  
  
Yugi sighed, throwing the Jell-O and spoon back onto the tray carelessly. He stood up, massaging his temples. "Yami....I'm sorry....I can't take it anymore; I'm at my wits end....I'm going home..." Yugi didn't look at his Yami, who stared at him, shock and hurt filling his eyes. Yugi refused to look; he couldn't take that look...he couldn't bare it anymore....  
  
Yugi reached up to Yami's IV stand, standing on tip toe, and turned on Yami's morphine drip; the medicine trickled down the tubing and into his veins, and Yami was soon asleep. Yugi grabbed his book bag and walked to the door, looking over his shoulder at Yami, who seemed to be peacefully sleeping. Soon, he knew, the nightmares would start....but he couldn't keep chasing them away...he was so tired....the hospital staff would just have to handle him; just sedate him and tie him down to the bed, and he'd be fine....  
  
Guilt filling him, Yugi turned and fled the room, a few of his tears shimmering in the dull light before splashing to the floor in his wake.  
  
tbc.....  
  
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review! plz! 


	3. angry hikari

*beams proudly * man, i'm doing so good on updating this!  
  
yam: *dryly * you call once a month "good"?  
  
...eh....yeah...well, for me it is at any rate..... *whistels * and....fair warning...when i wrote this last chappie, my plot bunny mutated on me....the angst factor has just been driven up some -.-  
  
thanks to all my lovely reviewers ^.^ i luv kai, rin, anime crazed, da lizzie, musoka 14, yami-yugi3, sailor sun 8, koishii no tenshi  
  
crystal- yes, i do agree! yami is VERY easy to pick on. and it's more fun to pick on him than on yugi  
  
yam: ....*looks hurt * *sniffles, then bursts into tears, crying on oni *  
  
sorceres moonblader- O.O wow, i'm glad you find my story so touching! ^.^ and, yes, this IS a very, uber-angsty story. ^.^ don't worry, yami and yugi will always be together.... *blinks * at least, i think they will...  
  
now, without further adu, onto the story-  
  
wait...WARNING: merik's scene in this chappie contains slight, very slight, implications of drug use. it's very slight and minor; most of you will probably miss it. but i'm just letting you know it's there so it doesn't surprise you. and, you can always skip that part, you know. but you miss some good merik-angst ^.^  
  
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Yugi sipped on his Pepsi as he headed towards Yami's room. A terrified scream that sounded all too familiar sent the fair one's heart to racing. He dropped the can, pop splashing and gurgling onto the Lysol smelling tiled floor and he took off down the hall.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* WARNING: this scene contains a very, very brief implication of drug use!  
  
Merik groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes. He felt weak and his head throbbed. What had he done last night? Yawning, he pushed himself up and stumbled out of bed. He tripped on some scattered clothes, hitting his head off the nightstand. He knelt and rubbed his newest bruise, blinking rapidly as he tried to clear his vision.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I remember last night?" No matter what he did, what drugs he took, what liquor he drank, who he slept with, he always remembered something. Usually it was just vague snatches, but there was always enough that he could piece together the majority of his activities. But now his mind was a complete blank.  
  
Desperately trying to recall what'd happened, Merik crawled along the floor, knocking dirty clothes, cds, and video games out of his way. One tanned hand froze on the pair of dirty jeans in front of him. The area around the zipper was coated with dried blood. "Nani?" He dug through the huge pockets of the baggy pants, tossing aside a broken comb, lighter, and half empty cigarette pack. He didn't find anything else, other than a couple of Duel Monster cards he must've acquired somehow.  
  
He tossed the jeans aside and tried to stand up, but he was too shaky. Feeling dirty with sweat and sleep, he crawled towards the bathroom once more when he noticed an old, worn green hoodie lying where the jeans had been. He dug through those pockets as well, pulling out a little plastic bag.  
  
He gasped, his shaking fingers instantly going slack. He stared in absolute horror at the contents. No wonder he couldn't remember anything, and his body was so weak. But why would he have taken something like that? Crazy and wild as he was at times, he never would do anything like that...  
  
Shaking his head, Merik groaned in pain. It just didn't make any sense. And where did the blood come from? Was it his own, or somebody else's? He shuddered and decided not to think about it. His head hurt too much, and in his present state, there was very little he could do.  
  
"Out popping cherries were you?" Malik leaned against the door frame and smirked at the older boy's bloodied jeans. The smugness fell from his face as Merik turned to look at him, sheer terror on his face. "What happened?" He entered the room, side stepping the clutter, and knelt besides him.  
  
Merik shook his head, his half nude body quivering. His pale purple eyes were wide with fear and misgiving. "I don't know. I don't think I want to know..." He trailed off, burying his face in the slimmer boy's shoulder as Malik hugged him.  
  
END OF WARNING ZONE! ^.^  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Yami!" Yugi burst into the room and froze. The bigger boy's bed was surrounded by two doctors and half a dozen nurses, all struggling to hold the frantic boy down. His heart monitor raced wildly and his respirator could barely keep up with his rapid breathing. He thrashed, his legs churning and arms heaving. His ruby eyes were glazed and wide open in pure fear.  
  
Yugi felt his heart catch in his throat, and tears welled as his violet eyes raked over the scene. All of Yami's IV's were attached, as were his heart monitor and respirator. The protective guard rails on both sides of his bed were lowered, allowing the medical staff better access to his body. Because the rails were lowered, Yami's extremities were unbound and currently thrashing wildly.  
  
The little one stood there helplessly until he spied the cause of the struggle. One of the doctors held a feeding tube in his hand. Both of Yami's hands and wrists were encased in immobile plastic splints. Something snapped deep inside him, coming up and possessing him. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Yugi hollered at the top of his lungs.  
  
Everyone in the Intensive Care Unit room turned in shocked silence at the deafening, angry scream. The white clothed staff gaped at the site of sweet tempered little Yugi Motou. His small hands were fisted on his thin hips, and his violet eyes were dark and snapping with anger. "You have no right. Get away from him." Yugi snarled viciously.  
  
"Now, see here. He has been refusing to eat, and it's Hospital Policy to administer a feeding tube." The head nurse looked down her pointed nose at the little impudent one.  
  
"You also need consent of the family. And I most certainly do NOT consent. So get away from him!" Yugi was seething with anger.  
  
"You are still a minor. You have no legal authority here, young one." A doctor started, but Yugi rounded on him.  
  
"Jiisan (grandfather) doesn't consent, either! Go! Go call him and see!" Yugi furiously pointed to the door as he glared at them all in turn. The heavy tension was broken only by the sounds of Yami's machines and labored breathing. He lay untouched, limp in his bed with his splinted hands resting on his chest.  
  
The other doctor took pity upon both the boys. "I'll call Mr. Motou, your guardian, and talk to him about this. If you can get your brother to eat, then he won't be put on a feeding tube. But he must get nourishment into his body. One way, or another."  
  
Yugi nodded curtly, his entire little body stiff as a poker. He was still to angry and frustrated for feelings of gratitude. He watched stiffly as the nurses put the guard rails back up and followed the doctors out, then rushed to the side of the bed.  
  
Though Yami lay limp and exhausted, sweat beading on his soft, creamy white skin, his rich ruby eyes were still wide and fearful. Yugi brushed his swat matted bangs away from his eyes. "Shh, it's over. But you must eat, or else they will do that again." Yami whimpered and pulled away slightly.  
  
"Then will you at least try to eat? Just a few bites?" Yami looked hesitatingly at his little, precious aibou and nodded. Yugi smiled a bit and reached out to pull Yami's untouched, still warm dinner tray over. His dainty hands uncovered the plastic plate, and both boys frowned at the pallid fare.  
  
"Yuck." Yugi stuck out his tongue and crinkled his nose, and Yami actually smiled softly. Encouraged, the little angel smiled back. "You poor thing, no wonder you haven't been eating." Yugi frowned at the steamed vegetables and chunky, gravy smothered mystery meat. His frown deepened when he noticed the blunt metal utensils, which would be murder on Yami's sore, swollen, stitched lip.  
  
Underneath the napkin, the hikari found a spoon a rubber-tipped spoon, which would make eating a lot easier on Yami. "Here we go. At least someone around here knows what they're doing." Yugi separated the carrots and potato chunks from the broccoli then mashed them up with the spoon while Yami looked on tiredly.  
  
Yami tried to push himself up onto his pillow, but he was too weak to move. He whimpered when he pushed with his splint instead of his elbow. Yugi's attention was immediately back on him, rubbing his chest and urging him to relax. The little one caught one of Yami's splints. "Yami, what happened?"  
  
Yami's eyes flickered to the guard rail back to his wrist. Yugi nodded in understanding. "When you were thrashing around? Did your wrists break?" Yami nodded slightly then shook his head. His stomach rumbled, causing him to blush and add some color back into his pale, sickly cheeks. Yugi smiled softly and put some mashed carrots onto the rubber tipped spoon and brought it gently to Yami's mouth.  
  
The older boy hesitated, his eyes closed and body tense as he waited for the pain of a metal spoon hitting into his torn lower lip. Yugi tilted the spoon at an angle, so that the bottom barely brushed Yami's lip. The orange mash slid down the spoon, and Yami automatically opened his mouth, using his tongue to pull the carrots into his mouth and force them down the back of his throat.  
  
Yugi managed to get most of it into his mouth, but some of it slipped down his chin and plopped onto his collar bone and hospital gown. Smiling gently in reassurance, Yugi used the spoon to wipe away the extra orange pulp from around Yami's mouth, then got a napkin and wiped the mess from his skin and hospital gown. He pulled a clean napkin off the pile, unfolded it, and tucked it into Yami's hospital gown, in case anymore food got slopped onto it.  
  
He smiled at his beloved yami. "See, that wasn't so bad." Yami looked pointedly at his plate and crinkled his nose. Yugi giggled, and Yami smiled. "I never said it tasted good." Yugi said, leaning over and kissing Yami on the nose, his heart soaring with joy. Yami was eating willingly.  
  
tbc.....  
  
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*wipes sweat off her forhead * hot dog, that was a long one! review, please! you know i love hearing from all you lovely readers! ^.^ 


	4. mashed broccoli

yug: *giggles and waves to everyone * hi there. i'll be doing the author's notes this chapter since oni's a bit...preoccupied...*shifts a glance at the closet door that has a chair jammed under the knob *  
  
yug: first of all, a HUGE thank you and a bit huggle from yours truly to all you very lovely, special reviewers! *huggles each reviewer in turn *  
  
yug: chimmoku, cloud 1-3-5, miami-chan, yami buzz, anime crazed, koishii no tenshi, yami-yugi 3, musoka 14, katya, smitten kitten, aurora ice aka crystal, da lizzie and i luv kai; THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING  
  
yug: and an extra big thanks to all of you who reviewed each chapter; that makes Oni feel extra special, and she's really happy you guys are enjoying the story! ^_^  
  
malik: *thwaps yug with a pillow * oh, shut it, you disgustingly cheerful thing, and start the bloody story already !  
  
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Yami stared up at the white tiled ceiling. His crimson eyes were blank, listless, and unfocused. His room was dim and quiet, the blinds drawn shut. The only noises in the sterile room, which stunk of Lysol, medications, and sickness, were the constant beeping of his heart monitor, the hissing of his breathing machine, and the drip-drip of his IVs. His hands were still encased in the splints, and a thin, scratchy, ugly green blanket was pulled up to his chest.  
  
He hated the ugly powder blue hospital gown, and the wool blanket was incredibly itchy. His throat was dry, and the tube going down it itched as well. He was tired and very weak; too weak to move, and too tired to care. All he wanted to do was drift away. Away from the pain, from the nightmares that plagued him whenever he closed his eyes. Yet, when he awoke, he could never remember them. He knew he had been raped, but he didn't know who did it, and how it had happened.  
  
The heavy door to his room creaked open, and Yami struggled to turn his head. His eyes lit up in expectation, thinking that soon Yugi's sweet, sunny little face would come in. The room, the hospital, was always dark, cold, and impersonal. Yami was nothing more to the staff than another patient, just another body that needed taken care of. But his sweet little Yugi brought sunshine with him everywhere he went. When he was at Yami's side, the bigger boy felt warm and alive again. It was Yugi who gave him the strength to keep going.  
  
His breath would have stilled in his throat as he waited for his beloved darling to come in, but the breathing apparatus rattled angrily, forcing air into his lungs. The door knob turned, the door opening further, and Anzu came in.  
  
"Hi, Yam-" Anzu's voice was cheerful and her blue eyes sunny, but she paled visibly several shades whiter and her voice trailed off as she stared in shock at the bed. This wasn't the boy she knew from school. This wasn't Yugi's Yami. He was so pale, so weak and fragile looking, as if she touched him, he might fall apart before her very eyes.  
  
Though, Yugi had warned her Yami wasn't in good shape, but she hadn't listened. She'd just been excited to see Yami. She had had a crush on him for the longest time, but Yugi already claimed Yami's heart. Yugi himself wasn't looking very good, either. He looked thinner, and his amethyst eyes, always so bright and vibrant, were clouded with worry. She had asked him in school what was wrong, and he'd replied vaguely. She'd offered to help, and Yugi had seemed very reluctant at first. Then his eyes had lit up and he'd said she could help him by visting Yami today for him, and giving the little one a break. She'd quickly accepted without noticing the sly look on little Yugi's face.  
  
An awkward silence hung in the air, boy and girl staring at each other in shock. "So..uh...hey, Yami. How's it going? Um....Yugi...err....um...I came to see you.....Yugi said you weren't doing so good...and...well, he couldn't make it today, and I came in his place...."  
  
The light in Yami's eyes fell, and he numbly nodded as the cheerleader came over to his bedside. She pulled out the dying lilies in the old purple vase and replaced them with bright yellow daffodils. She fussed about for a little bit, aware of Yami's sad eyes upon her the entire time. Finally, she sat down at his bedside. "So...Yami....Yugi said you haven't been eating much; he asked me to help you."  
  
Yami inwardly sighed. His throat and lip were too sore for him to eat regular food, and he didn't put much effort into it. He was too tired, emotionally and physically, to care about eating. But his brave, determined little angel had fought on, forcing him to eat. Instead of always mashing his food, Yugi had gotten Grandpa to buy Yami jars of baby food, which was already mashed and was a lot smoother and easier to get into Yami than regular food. Yami didn't mind some of it, but there was one he absolutely, thoroughly hated with a passion. Mashed broccoli. It smelled bad, and tasted even worse.  
  
Today was Saturday, and Grandpa hadn't gone to the store yet, so there had been only one jar of baby food left. Yugi really hadn't been looking forward to feeding Yami today, because the food left was mashed broccoli, and he was eternally grateful to Anzu for offering to go in his stead. He just had conveniently forgotten to mention Yami's aversion to the food.  
  
"So...are you hungry?" Anzu's voice was timid and nervous. She really did have a crush on Yami, but she couldn't take seeing him so broken and helpless. This wasn't the Yami she knew at all. That, and being near him always made her flustered. Her heart pounding, she pulled out the jar of baby food and spoon Yugi had given her. "I bet you are..." Yami hadn't said anything, but one look at his fat, swollen lower lip, which had stitches running from his lip nearly down to his chin, and even Anzu understood why.  
  
Yami's lifeless ruby red eyes were focused on the jar of baby food, but his vision was too hazy from medication to make out the label. The girl twisted the lid, and it opened with a small pop. She set the lid down, and her nose suddenly crinkled in disgust. "Eeewweeee; that smells really nasty." Anzu coughed several times at the smell from the jar. She turned it around and checked the expiration date. "No; it's still good...."  
  
She looked ready to barf as she dipped the spoon into the green, stinky mash and brought it towards Yami's lips. "Here we go, Yami....." The smell hit Yami, and he felt even sicker than before. Just as Anzu was about to touch the spoon filled with the stinky glop to his lips, hitting his sore lip in the process, Yami jerked his head to one side, causing the spoon to hit his cheek. Cold, mashed broccoli slopped onto his cheek and ran down his neck, into the top of his hospital gown.  
  
"Yami!" Anzu scolded and tried again, but Yami once more moved his head. Yugi had also forgotten to tell her how difficult and stubborn Yami could be when it came to eating. Especially if he didn't like who was feeding him.  
  
  
  
Merik sat shaking on the cold floor in front of the toilet. He'd just thrown up several times, and his head pounded, and his freshly bruised cheek hurt. He'd tried to take some medicine for his headache, but Malik had fought with him. Last time he'd taken medication, he'd purposefully overdosed and had nearly died. He'd been rushed to the hospital and had his stomach pumped to get the drugs out. They'd physically fought over the bottle, and it had ended with Malik punching his yami across his cheek.  
  
Merik groaned. After the fight, he'd locked himself in the bathroom and away from his currently annoying hikari. He looked down at the cordless phone with bleary eyes and wondered if he could communicate coherently enough to call Bakura. The silver haired yami had been out with him when he'd gotten so messed up.  
  
Grabbing the phone, and feeling his stomach grumble in protest, he tried to dial the number. His vision was blurred and hazy; he couldn't see straight, and he didn't know what numbers he was punching. Plus, the little beeping noise they made caused his head to pound even more. Merik ground his teeth, then his stomach rumbled a bit louder. Going several shades whiter, he dropped the phone and buried his golden head back in the toilet as he threw up again.  
  
Malik leaned against the locked bathroom door and listened to the wretching sounds as his yami threw up. He crinkled his nose in distaste and frowned, wondering just what was going on. Merik coming home drunk, high, and hung over was nothing new, but him acting so shaky and...vulnerable...was. The hikari had never seen him act like this, and he was worried. Just what had trouble had Merik and Bakura gotten into the that night?  
  
Malik chewed his lip, then reluctantly left the door for the kitchen. He picked up the phone and waited for the awful beeping to stop. Apparently, Merik was attempting to call somebody. Fear flashed through Malik. This scenario was all too familiar. He'd once listened in as a barely conscious Merik tried to call 911 because he'd slashed his wrists too deep and was bleeding to death. But, from the fierce pounding he'd heard, Merik was conscious. Not coherent, but conscious, and that would do.  
  
He would check on him after he had a chat with Bakura. Once the beeping stopped and the phone was free, Malik dialed Bakura's number. The phone rang several times and Ryou answered. Ignoring his soft spoken pleasantries, he snapped, "Put Bakura on. Now!" And Ryou scuttled to obey.  
  
  
  
"YAMI MOTOU!" Anzu screamed, her blue eyes blazing. Mashed green broccoli was everywhere. It was on Yami's face, in his hair, on his blankets and pillows, all over him, all over Anzu, on her new skirt, her face and shirt, and even a few stinky glops on a couple of his machines and tubes. Most of it was splattered about the room, and very little had gotten into the injured boy.  
  
"YAMI, YOU WILL EAT THIS OR ELSE!" Anzu huffed angrily as she wiped a green glob off her forehead. She angrily snatched up the spoon and scraped some mashed broccoli out of the nearly empty jar. Yami's eyes widened in fear as she angrily grabbed his chin, holding his head still, and pinched his nose. The oxygen machine whizzed a bit, forcing air into his lungs, but nothing could get out since Anzu held his nose, and he was forced to expel a large breath. Soon as his lips parted, she shoved the spoon into his mouth, and the disgusting glop slid down his throat.  
  
Yami coughed and gagged, rolling onto his side and dry heaving for all he was worth, trying to expel the food. But, as his breathing became labored, the oxygen machie got a bit louder. It clanked once, and Yami was knocked onto his back by the the force of the air rushing into his lungs. The machine sensed Yami's difficulty breathing and was starting to breathe for him instead of assisting him. His chest jerked erratically, and tears of pain welled in his eyes.  
  
Anzu looked at Yami, and her sympathy for the poor boy simmered down her anger. "I'm sorry, Yami, but you needed to eat. Now, I'm going to go home and get cleaned up. I'll see if I can get a nurse to come in and clean you up. Good bye." She would have kissed his cheek, but she was afraid that if she did, he would crack before her very eyes. That, and he was covered in baby food.  
  
tbc......  
  
&&&&&&&&  
  
eh....rather....icky....place to leave off, ne?  
  
yam: *dryly * you're telling me? -.-  
  
yug: *giggles and wipes babyfood off of yam *  
  
so..um...yeah....*trying to think of what to say *  
  
yam: isn't this the part where you beg shamelessly for reviews?  
  
......*pokes yug *  
  
yug: oh, yeah! *turns to readers * *eyes go really wide and chibi like * *grins cutely * please review! *bats his eyelashes * reviews are good and fluffy! they help feed the hungry plot bunny and they make oni very happy! ^___^ 


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